Clothes-washer structure



June 26, 1928. 1,675,169

. F. J. DULTMEIER CLOTHES WASHER STRUCTURE Filed Au 16, 1926 Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES FRANK J'. DULTMEIER, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

CLOTHES-WASHER STRUCTURE.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a clothes washer structure of very s1mple construction, which can be made and marketed at a very moderate cost.

More particularly, it 1s my ob ect to provide a clothes washer mechanlsm, which can be supported on a tub cover and utilized therewith and marketed as a complete unit.

Another object is to provide such a struc ture combined with a power operating mechanism of simple construction, whereby power may be transmitted from a source to the washer structure proper.

Another purpose of my device is to provide in the structure suitable elements so arranged that when used in combination with a tub and a hinged top, the raising of the hinged top will automatically render the washer structure inoperative to run the agitator ordolly. evenfthough the power remain connected.

It is my further purpose to provide in such-a structure novel operating mechanism and means for mounting the same of extremely simple and economical structure.

Still a further object of the present in-v ventionis to provide a device of the kind mentionechhaving novel means for connecting the power mechanism with the washer structure proper.

ith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement .and combination of the various parts of my clothes washer structure, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set" forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes washer structure embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. v

Figure 4 is aside elevation of a portion of the device assembled on the tub, having a hinged top, partsbeing omitted; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form illustrating I top for a tub having my washing mechanism mounted thereon. y

In the foregoing drawings, I have shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4:, my clothes Washer structure assembled in connection with an ordinary washing machine tub, having a Application filed August 16, 1926. Serial No. 129,476.

hinged cover, and in Figure 5, I have shown that portion of the mechanism, which can be so used installed ona tub top, so that the top and mechanism may be sold as a unit and may be used-with ordinary tubs.

In the drawings herewith, whereby I have illustrated my invention and its application to tubs or tub tops, I have used the reference numeral to indicate generally .an ordinary washing machine tub, having the supporting legs 11. The tub has the fixed] top or cover member 12 to which-the tiltable' tub top 13 is pivoted by means of hinges 14. I will describe first that-portion of my washer structure which can be used for manually washing clothes and which can be used either in connection with power mcehani-sm on a tub ormay be used without the power mechanism on a tub top 15. My improved washer structure includes a suitable plate 16 substantially longer than it is wide, which is secured to the upper surface of the top 13 or the top 15 asthe case may be. The plate 16 extends from a point near the outer edge of the top radiallyinwardly beyond the center of the top.

Ithas near its inner end a downwardly projecting boss 17, best illustrated in Figure 2, which is preferably inset in a depression 18 in the upper-surface of the top.

Directly above the boss 17 is a substantially similar boss 19, which projects upwardly from the upper surface of the plate 16. Near theouter end of the plate 16, there is formed'another upwardly extending boss 20. The-upper surfaces of the bosses 19 and 20 are smoothly finished.

I provide a journal bracket, comprising a plate or strip 21, which in the assembled structure stands spaced above the plate 16, as shown in Figures 1,2 and 5, except at its ends, which have the downwardly offset portions 22and 23, terminating in the short horizontal flanges 24 and 25, which are fus I tending through it and an angular dolly shaft 34 is slidably but non rotatably extended through that hole. of the dolly shaft 34 isthe dolly 35. The

upper end of the dolly shaft has a reduced port-ion on which is mounted a cup washer 3'? held in place by a cotter key or the like 38.

The dolly shaft can thus slide up and down in the pinion 30 but will have relative rotation therewith. 5 I

A hand operating shaft 39 is journalcd in the bearing 28 and projects upwardly therefrom and also downwardly from the plate Mounted on the lower end of the shaft 39 is a segmental gear 40, which rests on the boss 20. h I

It will thus be seen that the segmental gear 40 is mounted in a very simple mannet and is properly supported by the boss 20 and plate 16 without the necessity for drilling or machining a hole in the boss 20.

The teeth of the segmental gear 40 mesh with those of the pinion 30.

At one end of the series of teeth on the segmental gear 10 is a projection or stop member 41 formed with a hole 42 for connection with the power mechanism.

Fixed on the upper end of the shaft 39 is a horizontal operating arm 43 extending in both directions from the shaft As shown in the drawings, I have disclosed a socket 44 mounted on the upper end of the shaft 39 and having the short bar 45 at its upper end. Suitably and preferably detachahly. fastened to the bar 45 is the operating lever 43, which is preferably provided near its ends with the vertical holes 46 and with the horizontal holes 47 for the attachment of handles 18. These handles may thus be fastened on the operating lever in horizontal position shown in Figure 1 or in upright position as shown at the left-hand end of the bar 43 Figure I prefer, however, to mount the righthand handle in horizontal position and the left h'and handle in vertical position as illustrated in full lines in Figure 5. h

A gear casing member 49 may be pro vided for covering the segmental gear 40 and pinion 30 and may beplaced above those gears and belowthe plate 21 and provided with a down-turned edge 50 terminat; ing in the flange 51 fastened to the tub top The gear casing Vmembero'r covers?) is provided with s'uitable openings shown in Figure 2, indicated at 52 and 53 for receiving the bosses 27 aridQd A The clothes. washin mechanism heretofore described my be assembled on a, tub

on the lower end top 15, as shown in Figure 5, and this top with tli'm echanism may be sold as a separate unit, to those who desire a Very inexpensive mechanism that can be used in connection with an ordinary tub for washing clothes or for rinsing them or putting them through bluing water and so on.

Where the mechanism is sold as a unit with the tub top, I preferably provide a top of the kindshown in Figure 5, having the inset downwardly projecting flange 54, preferably made of rust-proof material. Of course, the tub top 15 may be made of any material suitable for the purpose, such as galvanized iron, wood or otherwise. i

I preferably provide the tub top with locking means sothat when it is sold as a unit with the mechanism heretofore described, it may be easily and securely fastened to an ordinary tub.

As shown, this mechanism comprises up right pins 55 mounted on opposite sides of said top and projecting upwardly therefrom. A bell crank lever member 56 pivoted on each pinion 55 and has pivoted to it a hook arm 57.-

1n the use of the top 15, the bell crank lever members 56 are swung on their pivot pins 55 to position where the hook mem' bers 57 project to their maximum distance beyond the tub top. The to is then placed on the tub and the bell cran levers may be swung on their pivots from the position illustrated at the left-hand side of Figure 5 to the position illustrated at the righthand side of Figure 5 for causing the hook arms 57 to grip the tub well below the bead commonly found thereon.

The construction of these locking devices issuch that when they are moved to locking position the pivots 58 connecting the bell crank levers 56 and the hook arms 57 are swung over center with'relation to the pivot pins 55, so that the devices when once looked will remain in siich position. A mechanism of the kind, hereinhefore (ilescribed has a number of advantages.

In the first place in a general way, it is obvious that a device which can be sold as a unit comprising a washing mechanism and tub top has many advantages for those who occupy small apartment-s especially and of course for many others. pl I The entire'unit can be sold at, such a price as toput itinto the reach of practically all householders. p l p M v lnmatters of detail, attentio'n is calledto thes'implicity of the structure. The dolly shaft 3& is so rigidly mountedas to properly carry its loa at all times without undue strain or distortion of any of the parts of em cham m- .v i i .7

{,Th shaft 39 is journaled s the te ring 28 and the segmental gear 40 amply rest-s be fit) the boss 20, so that the parts may be constructed with a ininimunriiumbei of-operations and at a low factory cost. Y

The plate 16, the bearing bracket, the pinion, the segmentalfgear, and connected operating parts may be quickly and easily assembled and mounted on the tub top.

The device can be manually operated by swinging the operating lever for rocking the hand operating shaft 39. 3

Attention is called to the fact that the downwardly extending .outer end of the plate 21 is so located with relation to the other parts that it serves as a stop for the segmental gear 40 for, limiting the rocking thereof in one direction, as'well illustrated in Figure 3. i

The extension 41 serves as a stop for engaging the pinion 30 for limiting the rocking movement of the segmental gear 40 in the other direction-as illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2.

It is, of course, obvious that the dolly and dolly shaft can move upwardly or downwardly in the dolly shaft bearing for accommodating the dolly to the contents of the tub. v

I will now describe my washer structure as applied to a tub and assembled in com-- bination with a power operating mechanism.

When so used, the mechanism heretofore described is mounted on a tub top 13, as shown in Figure 1. The legs 11 of the tub 10 may be connected by supporting braces 59 which support a motor 60 or other suitable source of power, having the shaft 61. The counter shaft 62 is journaled in brackets 63 on one of the supporting braces 59. Motion is transmitted from the power plant shaft 61 to the counter shaft 62 by suitable mechanism, such for example as the pulley 64, pulleys 65 and belt 66. I

A stub shaft 67 is journaled in a bracket 68 011 one of the supports 59. On the stub shaft 67 is a pinion 69, which meshes with a pinion 70 on the counter shaft 62.

It will thus be seen that rotation of the shaft 61 is imparted to the shaft 62 in the manner mentioned and that rotation of the shaft 62 is imparted to the pinion 69 through the pinion 70.

A link 71 is pivoted to the outer side of the pinion 69 by a wrist pin 72. A rock shaft 73 is journaled in brackets 74 and 75 on the side of the tub and one of the legs 11, as shown in Figurel.

On the lower end of the rock shaft 73 is fixed an arm 76 to which is pivoted the link 71. At the upper end of the rock shaft 73, the arms 77 of a yoke 78 are pivoted on a horizontal axis to the upper end of the shaft 73. The yoke 78 carries a socket 79 shown in Figures 1 and 4.

An operating arm 80 has a cylindrical end 81 received in the socket 79 and adjacent to the socket has a shoulder 82. The other end of the arm 80 is bifurcated and forms the arms '83. The arms '83 support'between them a sleeve 84. The sleeve 84 is curved on the are of a circle, having its'center in the extende'daxis of the shaft 73. f

A guide rod 85 is mounted on thetop 13 and'slidably extended through the sleeve 84. The arm SOhas a plurality of spaced holes 86. A -link 87'has a down-turued end received in one of the holes 86 and another the motor is started, the shaft 73 will be" rockedand when the tub top is in its lower position, the arm 80 will be in substantially ,horizontaljposition, whereupon the arm'80 will be rocked for reciprocating the segmental gear 40 and imparting reciprocating motion to the dolly shaft and the dolly.

- It will be noted that when the tub top13 is raised as shown in Figure 4: until the arm 80' is in upright position, then the rocking of the shaft 7 3 willimpart no movement to the arm 80 but will cause the socket 79 torotate withrelation to the arm 80. This makes the dolly inoperative when the top is raised, even though the motor may still be running. Attentionis called to the simplicity of-this power operating structure.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of the parts of my improved device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of strueture or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

For example, any suitable universal joint may be used for connecting the socket 79 with the rock shaft 73.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a support with a clothes washing structure, comprising a shaft slidably mounted in said support, a plate on the support, a second plate fixed on the first plate offset therefrom between its ends, a pinion rotatably mounted between the plates and having the shaft slidably but non-rotatably mounted therein, a segmental gear rotatably mounted between said plates meshing with said pinion, a hand operating shaft projecting upwardly from said segmental gear through the upper plate for thus journalling said gear on such plate, and a cross bar mounted on said hand operating shaft hav ing handles thereon.

2. In a structure of the class described, a support, a pinion mounted thereon, a

shaft slidably but non-rotatably mounted in said pinion, a segmental gear mounted on said support and meshing with said pinion IUD having at [one end .a projecting portion to form a stopin cooperation with said pinion, ,a journal bracket supported on said support, said pinion being journaled therein,- a shaft 5 journaled insaid Journal bracket and fixed to said segmental gear, said journal bracket having a portion adapted to coact with said gear for serving as ,a stop, a socket mounted on said last-named shaft, an operating '10 lever fixed to said socket and provided with liandles.

3. In a structure of the class described, a support, a plate mounted thereon having spaced upwardly projecting bosses, .a pinion 15 liavinga huh journaled in one of said bosses,

a shaft slida-hly hutnon-rotatahly mounted in said pinion and extended through said support, a journal bracket mounted on said top and having a portion spaced above said 20 plate, said pinion being journaled in said 39 mounted in said pinion and extended through said support, a journal bracket mounted on omma said to and ha-viing -a portion spaced above said pate, said m onibeing gournaled in said ournal brac et, a segmental gear resting on the other base 'oisaid plate, a shaft journaled in said journal bracket and fixed to said segmental gear, andj a gear casing covering said pinion and segmental gear re ceived between the pinion and segmental gear and the journal bracket and provided with holes for receiving said shaft and the ,upper portion of the hub of the pinion;

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a support having a hinged member with a segmental gear mounted on said member for rocking ,niovement, a substantially upright shaft mounted on the support, means :for imparting rocking movement to said shaft, means for imparting movement teem said last shaftto said segmental gear, said means comprising a socket port top for permitting rocking movement thereof and for causing the arm to swing with the member when the member is raised.

Des Moines, Iowa, August 5, 1926.

FRANK J. DULTMEIIER. 

